1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a spelling check apparatus for judging whether or not a spelling of a word inputted therein is correct. More specifically, the present invention is directed to a spelling check apparatus for selecting another word similar to the entered word and for outputting the selected word.
2. Related Art of the Invention
Very recently, electronic appliances, so-called "spelling checkers" are commercially available in which the word data are previously stored into the memory built in the electronic appliance, and the spelling of the key-inputted word is compared with the above-described word data so as to check whether or not the key-inputted word is spelled correctly.
In general, a "Spell" key and a "Similar" key are provided on the keyboard of such spelling check apparatuses. When a spelling of one word is entered and the "Spell" key is manipulated on the keyboard, if there is an erroneous spelling in the entered word, an indication "misspelling" is made and also another word having a spelling similar to that of the input word is displayed. On the other hand, when the spelling of the inputted word is correct, an indication "correct spelling" is made. Under this condition, when the "Similar" key is operated, words similar to the entered word are retrieved and displayed.
However, in such conventional spelling check apparatuses, even when, for instance, although the entered word's spelling is not correct, this misspelled word is accidentally coincident with another word having a different meaning therefrom, the indication "correct spelling" is made when the "Spell" key is operated and the spelling check operation is accomplished. Then, in case that the inputted word is confirmed, the "Similar" key is further operated to represent the words similar to this inputted word. Among these words having the similar spellings, the word having the correct spelling must be found out for performing the spelling confirmation. Accordingly, there is a drawback that since the two different key operations are required so as to confirm the spelling of the inputted word, such a cumbersome key operation must be carried out.
Also, with respect to the retrieval operation of the similar word, another process, i.e., modification of the inputted word is necessarily required. In general, there are several word modification methods. That is, there exist for example, a method for substituting two adjoining characters with each other within a spelling; a method for deleting one character from an entire spelling; and a method for inserting a single character into an overall spelling. Generally speaking, in one of these modification methods, there are provided plural sorts of the modified words, and each of these modified words is successively compared with the word of the dictionary with respect to their spellings. If the spelling of the modified word is coincident with that of the word stored in the dictionary, this modified word is outputted as the word similar to the entered word.
In the above-described conventional spelling check apparatus, because such a coincidence checking method must be carried out for all modified words in accordance with the above-described plural checking methods, a lengthly process time is required so as to pick up the similar words. This implies that when a misspelled word is accidentally entered by an operator, a very long process time is required to finally know the correct word. This is another drawback in such an inconvenient spelling check method.